Nursing nipple



Jan. 10, 1939. R. w. SCHULTE NURSING NIPPLE Filed Feb. 20, 1936 INVENTOR Patented Jan; 10, 193

UNITED STATES NURSING NIPPLE Robert W. Schulte,

Oklahoma City, Okla.

, Application February 20, 1936, Serial No. 64,828

, 1 Claim.

My invention relates to. improvement in nipples, and particularly to that class of nipples of the flexible bulb type used by babies in nursing.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a discharge opening or mouth in the nose of the nipple so designed that liquid will pass freely therethrough when the neck of the nipple is squeezed together and suction is applied to the opening, and which will also prevent leakage when the nipple is in its normal form.

Other objects of my invention is to provide a device of this class which is new, novel, practical and of utility; which will provide a substantially uniform flow of liquid through the discharge opening upon a squeezing and suction action; the discharge opening of which will not easily clog; which will permit heavy particles of cream and other viscous liquids to pass therethrough without impediment; which will provide a reinforcing of the discharge opening; which will be durable and lasting; which will be sanitary; which will prevent the collapsing of the nipple and the shutting off of the supply of liquid, and the consequent necessity of removing and replacing the nipple on the bottle mouth; and, which will be efiicient in accomplishing all the purposes for which it is intended.

The ordinary nipple in present use when the neck is squeezed and suction is applied to the discharge mouth tends to close the lower end portion of the discharge mouth and to thereby retard the flow of liquid into the mouth of the baby and often causes the drawing of air into the mouth instead oi a flow of liquid; in such nipples the greater the pressure which is applied to the neck the more this defect is increased.

Such action of the usual nipple when the liquid in the bottle recedes to a point lower than the mouth of the bottle often causes the head or neck of the nipple to become collapsed and no liquid can be drawn therethrough until the nipple is entirely removed from the bottle to permit entry of air. Also when the baby is through nursing, or becomes tired out in trying to nurse, and allows the bottle to roll down on the pallet or bed, the nipples in present use are very liable to, and in many instances do, permit liquid to run out of the bottle and wet the pallet or bed, around the baby.

My invention obviates these and other objectionable features.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear hereinbelow, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and'combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying onesheet drawing, of which,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of th nipple;

Figure2 is a sectional view taken vertically through the nipple in its normal position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the nipple showing the discharge opening when the nipple is in its normal form;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken vertically through the nipple as it appears when pressure is applied on opposite sides of the outer periphery of the nose thereof; and,

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the discharge opening as it appears when'pressure is being applied to opposite sides of the outer periphery of the nose of the nipple.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight, material and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive,

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose oi illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:--

' Numeral l designates as a. whole a nipple of the flexible bulb type, consisting substantially of a body portion 2 adapted to fit over the top of a bottle or container, a neck portion. 3 and a head or nose portion l. The head or nose portion 4 has extending through the central portion of its end an opening 5 which is conically tapered, as may best be seen in Fig. 2, when the nipple is in its normal form. The base of the tapered opening which is of greatest diameter is shown at 6 and its top of lesser diameter is shown at I. when in its normal form the aperture or opening 5 is frusto-conical in shape. when the surface of the head 4 has pressure exerted on the outer periphery of its opposite sides, designated at 8 and 9, the opening 5 is converted into a frustum of an elliptical con'e l0 as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It is understood the liquid enters the nipple through its large opening II when the nipple l is fastened over a nursing bottle, or the like, not shown.

e entire flexible nipple neck 3 or head I and a compression stress on their inner walls. The tensile stress set up in the outer fibre widens the diameter at the small outer end i of the tapered discharge opening 5, due to the flexible material from which it is made, and consequently enlarges the smaller end of said tapered discharge opening. The compression stress set up in the inner fibre oi the nipple head 4 contracts slightly the larger diameter 6 of the tapered discharge opening 5, but not to the extent of closing the said discharge opening, as the taper is sufiicient to prevent this action. When the tapered discharge opening is stressed as described above this causes a free opening from the inside of the nipple head 4 to the outside, and when the nipple is sucked the liquid passes freely through the discharge opening, analogous to the normal method of feeding from the mother's breast.

. Upon the removing of the nipple from the baby's mouth the discharge opening normally resumes its original position, and stops the flow of liquid since the smaller end of the tapered discharge sucking, and the baby's becoming surfeited with food for which he is not ready is thereby prevented.-

It will be noted that viscous liquids and thick.

mixtures may be fed through my device since the squeezing action causes the larger end of the tapered opening to become smaller and the smaller end to become larger thereby in a measure causing a pumping action.

It will also be noted that a more uniform feeding will be accomplished by my device over the ordinary nipple as the application of the tensile stress, compression stress and suction will cause the flow to be normally substantially uniform.

It will also be noted that by such uniformity the wear on the nipple will be less.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is 11- lustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the devicev herein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Paten s:

The combination with a nursing nipple of the flexible bulb type having a base portion for attachment to a container, a narrower neck portion thereabove and integral therewith, and an enlarged nose portion thereabove and integral therewith, of a tapered discharge opening in the top central portion of said nose, said opening having a larger diameter at the interior of the nose portion and a smaller diameter at the exterior thereof.

ROBERT W. SCHUL'IE. 

